Quota demanded for youth in assemblies

ISLAMABAD, Dec 16 (APP): The National Youth Assembly (NYA) of Pakistan Friday demanded quota for the youth in next election of Senate, National Assembly and provincial assemblies.
Special social media mobilization campaign for voters’ attention must be launched and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should launch its electronic media channel, it added.
Speaking at a briefing session here at the Election Commission of Pakistan, NYA President Hanan Ali Abbasi appreciated the role of ECP for reserving the seats for youth councilor in the recently held local government elections.
He said the Pakistani youth had remained less engaged in the decision making process because of previous bans on students’ politics.
The country’s future, he said, was in hands of the youth so the government should encourage young professionals’ inclusion in the decision making process.
Besides the NYA President, 35 NYA members, including youth ministers Basim Naser, Umair Raza and Kinza Mumtaz, the ECP officials that the NYA had become the first leading youth institution of the country which had obtained a proper approval from the government.
Thirty leading universities and 59 district administrations formally recognized the NYA, and providing it government halls and security for its sessions, they added.
They said the NYA was the largest youth forum to hold parliamentary sessions where thousands of young Pakistanis took part to become future leaders, bureaucrats, social workers, philosophers and responsible citizens.
ECP Additional Secretary Fida Muhammad, Director General, Information Technology Muhammad Khizer Aziz and Director General Research Javed Rehmat Khan greatly appreciated the role and responsibilities of the National Youth Assembly.
NYA members Mudassar Ghulam Nabi, Mirza Ahsan Baig, Mudassar Hussain, Maria Hussain, Junaid Khan, Attshan Ali, Syed Jawad Hasan, Saba Irshad, Sameena Shaheen, Saba Sulaman, Atif Mumtaz, Haris Mehmood Jadoon, Hafsa Arif, Raja Waqas, Fahd Ayube, Usama Imtiaz, Syed Izaz Shah and others appreciated the ECP for its efforts to advance its stature.
They said many of the activities carried out by NYA youth councilors were included in the recent local government ordinance. Many pricatical and valuable suggestions were presented by them.
They said issuance of discounted student transport cards, introduction of student welfare prize bonds, induction of the prime minister youth programme and the steps taken by the government on their other demands had enhanced the confidence of NYA members.